Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Just then, outside the hotel, the faint sound of footsteps echoed down the street. Though quiet, it didn't escape the sharp hearing of the Awakeners.

"Footsteps," Mia said, her expression tightening.

"Huh?"

The rest of the group froze, tension creeping into their faces.

Could it be more monsters?

How are they this sharp…?

Sean, however, didn't seem the least bit concerned.@@novelbin@@

"What's there to be scared of? If it's trouble, I'll handle it."

"Oh…" The group nodded, though their nerves didn't entirely settle.

The footsteps grew louder, drawing closer. Before long, a dozen or so figures appeared at the hotel entrance.

Leading them was a young man, his gaze cautious as he scanned the hotel lobby. When his eyes landed on Mia and the others, suspicion flickered across his face.

"You guys…"

"Chirp, chirp… chirp, chirp…" Sean suddenly let out a series of strange, high-pitched noises, mimicking the sound of the monsters they'd encountered earlier.

"Huh?"

The group at the door froze, startled, instinctively stepping back half a pace.

Sean raised an eyebrow, curious. Why weren't they leaving? Did the sound not work?

"Chirp, chirp… chirp, chirp…" He tried again, this time making the noises faster and more urgent.

The group tensed even further.

They didn't move, but some of them had already reached for their weapons, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Mia stepped forward, breaking the standoff. "Are you Zane Flash?" she asked suddenly.

"Uh…" The young man at the front blinked, turning his gaze to her. When he saw Mia's stunning face, he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

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"Yeah, that's me. And you are…?"

"We're from the Los Angeles Shelter," Mia replied directly.

"But… what's with him?" Zane asked, his eyes narrowing as he gestured toward Sean. His hand remained firmly on the hilt of his weapon.

Mia sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Don't worry, he's not a monster. He's just… imitating one."

Sean glanced around, still not entirely sure what was going on.

"Chirp, chirp… chirp, chirp…"

"...Seriously?" Mia groaned, grabbing Sean by the arm and yanking him back. "Enough with the chirping already! Do you even care if they understand you or not?"

It was now clear that the group of newcomers weren't monsters at all. They were Awakeners from the Rancho Cucamonga Shelter, here for the same reason as Mia's team: to hunt down the parasitic monster leader.

Zane and his team had been just as confused by Sean's noises as Mia's group had been earlier. For a moment, they'd thought they'd been exposed.

"Phew—scared the hell out of me. Turns out he's human after all," one of Zane's teammates muttered.

"No kidding. But man, that sound was way too convincing."

"Still… I'm not sure he's what I'd call a normal human."

"..."

The murmurs of Zane's team carried from the back.

Zane, meanwhile, was studying Mia carefully. Before setting out, he'd made a point to look up her photo. Seeing her in person now, he realized she was even more stunning than the picture.

"Looks like this was just a misunderstanding," Zane said, his tone more relaxed now. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Zane Flash, Awakener #002 from Rancho Cucamonga."

He then introduced his three core teammates: two men and one woman, ranked #003, #004, and #005 in their shelter.

In other words, four of the top five Awakeners from Rancho Cucamonga were here.

Ethan's eyes swept over them, assessing.

Zane himself was A+ rank, as was the girl ranked #003. The other two were solid A rank.

"Looks like Rancho Cucamonga's… uh, Awakeners are doing pretty well for themselves," Ethan thought to himself, catching his slip before he accidentally said "food supply" out loud.

Beyond the four powerhouses, the rest of Zane's group seemed to consist of support roles or "carriers." Their combat abilities weren't particularly impressive—some were even on par with Chris.

The two groups of humans had finally met, and polite introductions and small talk began to flow between them.

Mia wasn't much of a talker. She was reserved and preferred to keep her words to a minimum.

When it came to socializing, the team's go-to guy was Chris.

"Hahaha, pleasure to meet you! I've heard all about you guys—taking down so many parasitic monsters. Truly impressive!" Chris said enthusiastically, shaking Zane's hand. His eyes, however, wandered past Zane to the female Awakeners standing behind him.

Zane gave a polite but slightly awkward smile. "Well, we don't have much of a choice. Our Rancho Cucamonga shelter is constantly dealing with monster attacks from Santa Clarita."

"Oh, I get it. I've been harassed a couple of times myself," Chris replied casually, as if they were talking about a nosy neighbor rather than deadly monsters.

"Sounds like you've had your fair share of run-ins with parasitic monsters," Zane said, though his attention wasn't really on Chris. His gaze kept drifting toward Mia, who stood quietly nearby.

Brandon, ever the instigator, chimed in from the back. "Oh, absolutely. Our Uncle Chris here has had very close encounters with parasitic monsters—twice, in fact."

…

Ethan stood silently in the background, observing everything like an outsider. He didn't say a word, his expression calm and unreadable.

The group had chosen this four-star hotel as their temporary base. The upper floors still had untouched Presidential Suites, preserved just as they were before the apocalypse. It was one of the reasons they'd decided to stop here—to rest, eat, and plan their next move.

The Presidential Suite was lavishly decorated, a reminder of the hotel's former glory.

"This place is amazing! It's my first time in a place like this. Before the apocalypse, I wouldn't have even dreamed of it," Brandon said, his eyes darting around in awe.

Chris waved a hand dismissively. "Kid, you're too young. I've been here before, back in the pre-apocalypse days."

"Oh?" Brandon looked at him, surprised. Chris didn't exactly exude the vibe of someone who'd frequented luxury hotels.

"Really, Uncle Chris? What did you do before all this?"

"Hotel staff," Chris replied matter-of-factly.

Brandon scratched his head. Well, that explained it.

Chris's attention, however, had shifted to one of the female Awakeners from Rancho Cucamonga. She was in her thirties, with a curvy figure and a gentle, refined face. Her every movement radiated the charm of a mature woman.

"Brandon, take a look. Do you think my springtime has finally arrived?" Chris whispered, his eyes gleaming with hope.

"Hmm?" Brandon followed Chris's gaze and spotted the woman. She did seem to fit Chris's type—mature and elegant.

"Uncle, have you forgotten? Chasing after women has gotten you into trouble before. Remember the last few times?"

"This time's different! She's definitely not a parasitic monster!" Chris declared confidently.

After all, anyone joining a team like this would've been thoroughly vetted. A single mistake could cost everyone their lives.

"Uh-huh…" Brandon nodded, though he wasn't entirely convinced. Given Chris's… let's say, limited appeal, he doubted the woman would be interested.

But Chris wasn't one to be discouraged. With a big grin, he walked over to the woman, already laying on the charm.

From his pocket, he pulled out a carefully wrapped piece of whole wheat bread and held it out to her.

"Good evening, my dear lady. You must be hungry. I happen to have some whole wheat bread—would you like some?"

In the apocalypse, food was a precious commodity, and whole wheat bread was practically a luxury. Chris had earned it as a reward while working in the grain depot, and he'd been saving it for a special occasion. Given the dangers of this mission, he'd brought it along as emergency rations.

The woman's eyes lit up. It had been ages since she'd seen whole wheat bread.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" she said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude.

"No need to thank me…" Chris replied, grinning ear to ear. Inside, he was practically doing a victory dance. Food always worked! He was sure he had a chance now.

But then, the woman turned and handed the bread to Zane.

"Honey, look! They have whole wheat bread here!"

…